In order to fit properly, the frame in which a door is to be installed must be entirely square and plumb. This means that the vertical and horizontal jambs must all be in the same plane and, further, the vertical jamb portions must be precisely parallel. If the door jambs are out of square, that is one corner is not in planar alignment with the others, the door will not fit or hang properly. Similarly, if the vertical jambs are not precisely parallel, the door will not fit and either unsightly gaps will exist or excessive trimming will be necessary at the time of installation.
In recent years, metal framing is becoming more common in both commercial and in some residential applications. Metal framing offers a number of advantages in terms of cost, dimensional accuracy and resistence to environmental conditions.
As indicated above, framing, both metal and wood, must be precise in order for the door secured to the frame to fit properly. However, with metal framing, it is much more difficult to position and realign frames once they have been secured. In this respect, wood is much more forgiving and easier to adjust to using shims than metal. Metal frame materials are often secured by sheet metal screws which are difficult to remove if realignment is necessary.
Therefore, it is important to initially and properly align the frame, whether it be metal or wood, to provide for ease of installation of the door. Often, framing is installed by one trade then the doors are subsequently installed at a later date by another trade. Thus, if realignment or adjustment is necessary, it may become necessary to recall the framers for corrective action which adds considerably to the expense and job delays.
Various devices can be found in the prior art for accurately framing a door opening. U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,556 discloses a doorjamb jig. This device sets the door frame so the door frame will be plumb in both vertical and horizontal positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,546 discloses a one-piece door framing tool for aligning metal wall studs within a steel doorway. The invention comprises spacer legs which fit snugly around the wall stud. The spacer legs are joined by two cross members. In use, the tool is snugly fitted around a metal wall stud and using the handle, the metal wall stud is maneuvered into a space within the door frame. The spacer legs of the tool serve as an alignment mechanism to create an equal gap in each side of the metal wall stud from floor to ceiling.
As indicated above, there are various devices for assisting and properly installing an opening around a frame. However, despite the existence of these various devices, none facilitate precise alignment of the door frame, insuring that the frame elements are planar and further insuring that the vertical frame members are precisely parallel. Accordingly, there exists a need for an effective and easy-to-use door alignment system which will accomplish these results.
It is therefore an object to provide a door alignment system for use in aligning and squaring a door frame, particularly for application to metal door frames.